Chapter 42: The Gathering of the House of Israel

Material for all of these chapters can be found in two chapters of the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:... (the old Priesthood/Relief Society manuals), in Joseph Smith, chapter 15 and in Brigham Young, chapter 44. These can all be found by going to the new “lds.org” then click on “Go to Classic LDS.org” (lower left corner), then click on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” The manuals are all found at the bottom of this page.

As with the last lesson Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual will be a wonderful resource for this lesson. It is available online at “institute.lds.org” then click on “Course Catalog” on the top bar.

1 - - The House of Israel Are God’s Covenant People

In the Bible Dictionary, it states that “Israel” means “One who prevails with God” (p. 708).

This section discusses the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Following is a repeat from Chapter 15 in this blog concerning this covenant:

In the February 2006 Ensign was a wonderful article, along with some terrific artwork (not usually included online) entitled “Abraham: Father of the Faithful.” Here is a quote from that article:

In the Old Testament, Abraham is regarded as the head of the covenant line, which is personified in the house of Israel. He is often called the “father of the faithful.” Abraham received the gospel through baptism, or the covenant of salvation. The higher priesthood was conferred upon him, and he entered into celestial marriage, the covenant of exaltation, gaining assurance that he would have eternal increase. He received a promise that these same blessings would be offered to his mortal posterity. The divine promises to Abraham assured that Christ would come through his lineage and that Abraham’s posterity would receive certain lands as an eternal inheritance. These promises are called the Abrahamic covenant.

Heavenly Father’s children who are of non-Israelite lineage can be adopted into the house of Israel, becoming heirs of the covenant and the seed of Abraham through the ordinances of the gospel. (See Bible Dictionary, “Abraham,” 601; and “Abraham, Covenant of,” 602.) (p. 38)

As before stated in this blog, a terrific resource is the "LDS Scripture Citation Index," where you can click on any scripture and pull up all times that scripture was used in a conference talk. Just Google that title and it is the first item that comes up. You can also put “scriptures.byu.edu” in your address bar to pull it up. The following great quote from a conference talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks was found this way looking under “Galatians 3:29”:

The Bible tells us how God made a covenant with Abraham and promised him that through him all “families” or “nations” of the earth would be blessed (see Gen. 12:3 Gen. 22:18). What we call the Abrahamic covenant opens the door for God’s choicest blessings to all of His children everywhere. (Ensign, May 2006, 77)

If you want a good outline of the “blessings” promised to Abraham (discussed in the second paragraph of this section—after the beginning question), Paul K. Browning, did a good job in an Ensign article:

In brief, the covenant promises Abraham the following blessings if he is faithful:

1. Both his literal posterity and all those who accept the gospel will be counted as Abraham’s seed (see Abr. 2:10-11).

2. His seed will be as numerous as the stars of heaven (see Gen. 15:5).

3. His seed will be inheritors of a land that will be theirs as an everlasting possession (see Abr. 2:6; Gen. 17:7-8).

4. His seed will be the means of spreading the gospel and the priesthood to all the world (see Abr. 2:9). (Ensign, Jul 1998, 54)

The combination “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” are used 47 times in the Old Testament (19), New Testament (10), Book of Mormon (14) and Doctrine and Covenants (4). They may be grouped as follows:

Promised Land (Gen. 50:24; Ex. 6:8, 33:1; Num. 32:11; Deut. 1:8, 6:10, 9:5, 30:20, and 34:4)

Covenant People (Ex. 2:24; Lev. 26:42; Deut. 29:13; 2 Kings 13:23; Jer. 33:26; Acts 7:8;
1 Nephi 17:40 and D&C 98:32)

In Heaven (Matt. 8:11; Luke 13:28; Alma 7:25 and Hel. 3:30) and specifically, in the Celestial Kingdom (D&C 133:55, 136:21 and 138:41)

I am the God of… (Ex. 3:6, 3:16, 4:5; Matt. 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37; Acts 3:13, 7:32;
1 Nephi 6:4, 19:10; Mosi. 7:19, 23:23; Alma 5:24, 29:11, 36:2; 3 Nephi 4:30; Morm. 9:11;)

Miscellaneous:
I appeared to (Ex. 6:3)
Great Sacrament Meeting in Last Days (D&C 27:10)
Genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:2 and Luke 1:34)
Plural Marriage (D&C 132:1)
To be remembered (Deut. 9:27)

Some very significant phrases from the above are:

I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. (Exodus 3:6)

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob… (Exodus 6:2 - 3)

Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham… (Leviticus 26:42)

I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob… (Matthew 22:32)

…this is the law I gave unto my servant Nephi, and thy fathers, Joseph, and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham (D&C 98:32)

Noah…Shem…Abraham, the father of the faithful; Isaac, Jacob, and Moses (D&C 138:41)

Now, what is the significance of all this? It appears that the Lord wants us to know from the Bible as well as lattter-day scripture that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are very important in several matters.

One reason for all of this may very well be the split at Abraham into two major cultures who both consider themselves the children of father Abraham. One is the Jewish and Christian people, through Abraham’s son Isaac. The other is the Islam people through Abraham’s son Ishmael. The following from Wikipedia is from the Qur’an, the Islamic equivalent of the Bible (much of it being very similar in content):

When Abraham's son reached the age of young youth, Abraham was given the command to sacrifice his son. This was a tremendous trial for the patriarch as his only son was being asked to be offered to God. When Abraham, however, told his son about his revelation, his son readily accepted his father's order. This clearly showed Abraham that his son was as devoted to God as he was. Then, when Abraham lay his son down, upon his forehead, and was about to sacrifice him and offer him up, a voice called out to him, telling him that he had fulfilled the vision and had passed the test of God successfully. Abraham was than rewarded with a momentous sacrifice, which is usually believed to have been a ram, goat or sheep.

One thing of note is that the name of the son is not given in the Qur’an, but most accept that it was Ishmael because the following passages discuss the birth of Isaac.
Abraham is of immense importance in Islam. He became the leader of the righteous in his time and it was through him that the people of both Arabia and Israel came (see, “Islamic View of Abraham”).

Also from Wikipedia:

The Qur’an states that Abraham dreamed he was to sacrifice his son. The son is not named in the Qur'an (see Qur’an 37:99—113) and in early Islam, there was a controversy over the son's identity. However the belief that the son was Ishmael prevailed, and this view is continued to be endorsed by Muslim scholars (see, “Ishmael”).

This historical Mount Moriah upon which Abraham was called to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:20) was also the mount upon which Solomon was commanded to build the temple (2 Chron. 3:1). This temple was subsequently restored by Zerubbabel and partially rebuilt by Herod (see Bible Dictionary, 781). On this mount today stands the Dome of the Rock.

According to Sunni Islamic tradition, the rock is the spot from which Muhammad ascended to Heaven (see Wikipedia, “Dome of the Rock”). At the Dome of the Rock, a guide told one of our friends, “Here Abraham sacrificed his son Ishmael.” By many, the Dome of the Rock is considered the third-most sacred location in Islam.

One teaching of the Qur’an that deserves major attention here is its doctrine of Jesus Christ. Again, from Wikipedia:

Like all prophets in Islam, Jesus is considered to have been a Muslim (i.e., one who submits to the will of God), as he preached that his followers should adopt the "straight path" as commanded by God.

Islam rejects the Christian view that Jesus was God incarnate or the son of God, that he was ever crucified or resurrected, or that he ever atoned for the sins of mankind.

The Qur'an says that Jesus himself never claimed any of these things, and it furthermore indicates that Jesus will deny having ever claimed divinity at the Last Judgment, and God will vindicate him. The Qur'an emphasizes that Jesus was a mortal human being who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message (see, “Jesus in Islam”).

Satan, of course, is the author of attacks against the divinity and atonement of Jesus Christ. Following is a repeat from Chapter 36 of this blog. A current prophet, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, has warned:

Satan’s most strenuous opposition is directed at whatever is most important to the Father’s plan. Satan seeks to discredit the Savior and divine authority, to nullify the effects of the Atonement, to counterfeit revelation, to lead people away from the truth… (Ensign, Nov 1993, 72).

It may be, then, that in the scriptures listed above, Jehovah or Jesus Christ is being very clear that the true birthright, the chosen covenant people, and the chosen lands are through the loins of Isaac (and thus on through Jacob), and not through Ishmael. Jehovah told Abraham as much:

And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called (Genesis 21:12).

The Jews have fought over the land now known as Israel with their cousins, the descendants of Ishmael, for 4,000 years.

This mount is also the place where a new temple will be built and from which Jesus Christ will rule during the Millennium. This spot of three millennia of contention will be where the last big battle will take place before the Second Coming will culminate and is where Jesus Christ come and save his chosen people from total destruction. The phrase Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is of crucial importance.

With all of the above it is crucial that we as members of Christ’s true Church separate Satan and those leaders of Islam who he has captured into doing his bidding from our brothers and sisters who are of the Islamic faith. Within a month after 9/11, President Hinckley in general conference made this perfectly clear:

I am pleased that food is being dropped to the hungry people of a targeted nation. We value our Muslim neighbors across the world and hope that those who live by the tenets of their faith will not suffer. I ask particularly that our own people do not become a party in any way to the persecution of the innocent. Rather, let us be friendly and helpful, protective and supportive (Ensign, Nov 2001, 72).

President Hinckley’s very next words, however, warned of the battle with Satan:

It is the terrorist organizations that must be ferreted out and brought down. We of this Church know something of such groups. The Book of Mormon speaks of the Gadianton robbers, a vicious, oath-bound, and secret organization bent on evil and destruction. In their day they did all in their power, by whatever means available, to bring down the Church, to woo the people with sophistry, and to take control of the society. We see the same thing in the present situation (Ensign, Nov 2001, 72).

The covenant of Abraham can be studied in the Bible Dictionary, p. 602). A wealth of information is also available by typing in “Covenant of Abraham” on “lds.org” under “Search all LDS.org” (upper left-hand corner).

2 - - The House of Israel Was Scattered

Concerning the reasons for the scattering of the House of Israel, Joseph Fielding Smith stated:

If you will read the 26th chapter of Leviticus and the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy—there are many other chapters also in the Bible but these two especially—you will find recorded many things by way of covenant and promise and admonition that the Lord gave to Israel. He told them what would happen if they kept his commandments. He told them the consequences of breaking his commandments. All that was clearly set forth in these scriptures before the

Israelites entered the promised land. . . .
As time went on they violated these covenants. They turned away from the admonitions, the commandments, the instructions that the Lord gave them through the Prophet Moses, and eventually, because of that rebellion, the curses came upon them and they were scattered among the nations of the earth (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 64).

Elder Bruce R. McConkie added:

Israel was scattered because she apostatized; because she broke the Ten Commandments; because she rejected the prophets and seers and turned to wizards that peep and mutter; because she forsook the covenant; because she gave heed to false ministers and joined false churches; because she ceased to be a peculiar people and a kingdom of priests. When she became as the world, the Lord left her to suffer and live and be as the world then was (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 65).

Something that could be very important to teach in this section is the account of the interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream by Daniel (see Daniel 2). The reason it might fit here is that it occurred after Judah was scattered and taken to Babylon. Brigham Young declared:

Out of this Church will grow the Kingdom which Daniel saw. This is the very people that Daniel saw would continue to grow and spread and prosper [see Daniel 2:44]; and if we are not faithful, others will take our places, for this is the Church and people that will possess the Kingdom for ever and ever (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 323).

This remarkable prophesy of the latter-day restoration was a favorite topic for President Gordon B. Hinckley. He referred to it in his first conference talk as a new prophet (Ensign, May 1995, 69), again in October conference of 1999 (Ensign, Nov 1999, 72), again in October Conference of 2003 (Ensign, Nov 2003, 4) and in his final talk as prophet, for which the title was, “The Stone Cut Out of the Mountain,” (Ensign, Nov 2007, 83). One of our favorite quotes from President Hinckley was from the Dedicatory Prayer for the Redlands Temple, March 12, 2010:

Remember all thy church, O Lord, with all their families, and all their immediate connections, with all their sick and afflicted ones, with all the poor and meek of the earth; that the kingdom, which thou hast set up without hands, may become a great mountain and fill the whole earth (“ldschurchnews.com”).

Elder James E. Talmage taught the following concerning the scattering:

It has been said, that ‘if a complete history of the house of Israel were written, it would be the history of histories, the key of the world’s history for the past twenty centuries.’ Justification for this sweeping statement is found in the fact that the Israelites have been so completely dispersed among the nations as to give to this scattered people a place of importance as a factor in the rise and development of almost every large division of the human family (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 65).

President Joseph Fielding Smith also taught:

We have something in the Book of Mormon that, if we did not have any other truth expressed in it, would be sufficient evidence of the divinity of this book. I have reference to the fifth chapter of Jacob. In this chapter we have a parable that nobody could have written unless he had the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord. It would have been impossible. . . . No greater parable was ever recorded. It is a parable of the scattering of Israel. The Lord revealed to Jacob that he would scatter Israel, and in this figure, Israel is a tame olive tree. . . .

“. . . In its native land it began to die. So the Lord took branches like the Nephites, like the lost tribes, and like others that the Lord led off that we do not know anything about, to other parts of the earth. He planted them all over his vineyard, which is the world (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 64-5).

Jacob 5 indeed needs to be emphasized in this lesson.

3 - - The House of Israel Must Be Gathered

Joseph Smith wrote, in a letter to the elders of the Church in September of 1835:

[The] subject of the gathering…is a principle I esteem to be of the greatest importance to those who are looking for salvation in this generation, or in these, that may be called, “the latter times.” All that the prophets…have written…in speaking of the salvation of Israel in the last days, goes directly to show that it consists in the work of the gathering (quoted in Gerald Lund, Fire of the Covenant, 81).

Brigham Young stated the importance of this gathering:

To possess and retain the spirit of the Gospel, gather Israel, redeem Zion, and save the world must be attended to first and foremost, and should be the prevailing desire in the hearts of the First Presidency, of the Elders of Israel, and of every officer in the Church and Kingdom of God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 325).

President Joseph F. Smith also explained its high priority:

We proclaim the objects of this organization to be, the preaching of the gospel in all the world, the gathering of scattered Israel, and the preparation of a people for the coming of the Lord (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 64).

President John Taylor added:

Why is it that you are here to-day? and what brought you here? Because the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four quarters of the earth have been committed to Joseph Smith, and he has conferred those keys upon others that the gathering of Israel may be accomplished, and in due time the same thing will be performed to the tribes in the land of the north. It is on this account, and through the unlocking of this principle, and through those means, that you are brought together as you are to-day (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 66).

Two key gatherings in preparation for the Second Coming are outlined by Brigham Young:

By and by the Jews will be gathered to the land of their fathers, and the ten tribes, who wandered into the north, will be gathered home, and the blood of Ephraim, the second son of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, which is to be found in every kingdom and nation under heaven, will be gathered from among the Gentiles, and the Gentiles who will receive and adhere to the principles of the Gospel will be adopted and initiated into the family of Father Abraham, and Jesus will reign over his own and Satan will reign over his own (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 66).

Elder James E. Talmage discusses the gathering of the Jews:

The sufferings of Israel have been but necessary chastening by a grieved yet loving Father, who planned by these effective means to purify His sin-stained children. . . .

Though smitten of men, a large part of them gone from a knowledge of the world, Israel are not lost unto their God. He knows whither they have been led or driven; toward them His heart still yearns with paternal love; and surely will He bring them forth, in due time and by appointed means, into a condition of blessing and influence befitting His covenant people. In spite of their sin and notwithstanding the tribulations that they were bringing upon themselves, the Lord said: ‘And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: I am the Lord their God.’ As complete as was the scattering, so shall be the gathering of Israel (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 65).

These prophesies, by Brigham Young and Elder Talmage, were fulfilled in 1948 (when Israel was declared a nation) and 1967 (when Jerusalem was once again established as a center of worship for the Jews). There will be no lasting peace for the Jewish people until the Savior returns.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie discussed an important concept concerning missionary work:

Many ancient prophecies foretold that in the last days the Lord would set up an ensign to the nations, a standard to which Israel and the righteous of all nations might gather. ( Isa. 5:26 ; 11:10–12 ; 18:3 ; 30:17–26 ; 31:9 ; 49:22 ; 62:10 ; Zech. 9:16 .) This ensign is the new and everlasting covenant, the gospel of salvation ( D. & C. 49:9 ); it is the great latter-day Zion ( D. & C. 64:41–43 ); it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 6).

In the Priesthood/Relief Society manual for Brigham Young this “ensign to the nations” is explained further:

On July 26, 1847, just a few days after the first pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley, President Brigham Young and a small group of priesthood leaders climbed a hill north of the area that would later become Salt Lake City. They named the hill Ensign Peak in remembrance of the prophecy of Isaiah: “He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far … and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly” (Isaiah 5:26). President Young later identified this hill as the place he had seen in a vision, a place where the Saints would flourish, where the kingdom of God could be built and the latter-day Israel gathered. In the years that followed, missionaries took the message of the gospel throughout the world, and thousands of newly converted Saints came to the Salt Lake Valley. Today the building of the kingdom and the gathering of Israel goes on in hundreds of nations. President Young said, “The gathering of Israel is so important a part of the great work in which we are engaged that it occupies much of our thoughts, and we are ever anxious to afford it all just facilities and influence” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 323).

Brigham Young had actually arrived in what is now Salt Lake City the day before, later than did most of the company. Even though he was still sick, he was excited about a small hill north of the city. Accompanied by all of the apostles who arrived in the first pioneer company, he climbed what is now Ensign Peak. President George Albert Smith declared of that occasion:

President Young had a vision of Joseph Smith who showed him the mountain we now call Ensign Peak immediately north of Salt Lake City, and there was an ensign [flag] fell upon that peak, and Joseph said “build under the point where the colors fall and you will prosper and have peace."
When they [the pioneer company] entered it [the valley] President Young pointed to that peak, and said he, “I want to go there.” He went up to the point and said, “This is Ensign Peak” (Journal of Discourses, 13:85-6).

This was a seminal event in the latter-day history of the gathering of Israel through missionary work. The number of mission calls that have been issued by the Lord through His prophets under the “shadow” of that peak in these latter days must now be about 99.99 %.

All of this was prophesied in the Old Testament and primarily through Ephraim. In the Bible Dictionary, “Ephraim” means “fruitful” and Ephraim was given the birthright of Israel (p. 666). Before he died, Jacob blessed each of his twelve sons. To Joseph he proclaimed:

The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph (Genesis 49:26).

The only place in the world where there are “everlasting hills” (from pole to pole) includes Ensign Peak. These mountain ranges include the Andes from the tip of Chile, the Sierra Madres through Mexico, and the Rocky Mountains to Alaska.

The heading to Deuteronomy 33 discusses the blessing given by Moses to each tribe, “…Joseph blessed above all; he shall gather Israel in latter days…” For Joseph’s blessings is then recorded:

…his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth… (Deuteronomy 33:17).

In these latter days, the Lord has proclaimed:

And there [Christ’s people] shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim.

And they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy.

Behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows (D&C 133:32-34).

Brigham Young exclaimed:

We are now [1863] gathering the children of Abraham who have come through the loins of Joseph and his sons, more especially through Ephraim, whose children are mixed among all the nations of the earth.

Who are Israel? They are those who are of the seed of Abraham, who received the promise through their forefathers [see Genesis 22:17–18]; and all the rest of the children of men, who receive the truth, are also Israel. My heart is always drawn out for them, whenever I go to the throne of grace.

Israel is dispersed among all the nations of the earth; the blood of Ephraim is mixed with the blood of all the earth. Abraham’s seed is mingled with the rebellious seed through the whole world of mankind (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 325).

President Joseph Fielding Smith spoke of the role Ephraim would play:

It is essential in this dispensation that Ephraim stand in his place at the head, exercising the birthright in Israel which was given to him by direct revelation. Therefore, Ephraim must be gathered first to prepare the way, through the gospel and the priesthood, for the rest of the tribes of Israel when the time comes for them to be gathered to Zion. The great majority of those who have come into the Church are Ephraimites (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 66).

President Spencer W. Kimball also defined gathering and missionary work:

Now, we are concerned with the gathering of Israel. This gathering shall continue until the righteous are assembled in the congregations of the Saints in the nations of the world. This reminds us of the tenth article of faith, wherein the Prophet Joseph Smith said to his inquirer, ‘We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the new Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.’ . . .

Now, the gathering of Israel consists of joining the true church and their coming to a knowledge of the true God. . . . Any person, therefore, who has accepted the restored gospel, and who now seeks to worship the Lord in his own tongue and with the Saints in the nations where he lives, has complied with the law of the gathering of Israel and is heir to all of the blessings promised the Saints in these last days (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 66).

The Ten Tribes were scattered by Assyria to “the North.” Ephraim was among them. A good question at this point is, “Of the sixteen Presidents of the Church, how many trace their ancestries back to the British Isles?” The answer is “All of them.” The seed of Ephraim is obviously in “the “North” countries of Great Britain.

In the Bible Dictionary, it states that the third denotation of “Israel” is “the true believers in Christ, regardless of their lineage or geographical location” (p. 708).

If someone is baptized and is not in the lineage of Jacob, or as God changed his name, Israel, he or she becomes adopted. When they get their patriarchal blessing they are then assigned to one of the tribes of Israel. From Chapter 15 of this blog, we repeat a statement from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism on adoption:

Today, members of the Church—latter-day Israel, largely Joseph’s descendants, either by blood or adoption—are to seek out the other descendants of Israel and those who would become Israelites through adoption by baptism. The Prophet Joseph Smith observed that “as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene;…while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. (p. 706)

On the other hand, if someone is of the lineage of Israel and refuses baptism or is baptized and apostatizes, he or she can leave them self outside of the covenant. President Lee explained:
…we have our free agency here, there are many who were foreordained before the world was, to a greater state than they have prepared themselves for here. Even though they might have been among the noble and great, from whom the Father declared he would make his chosen leaders, they may fail of that calling here in mortality (Ensign, Jan. 1974, 2).

We also here repeat from Chapter 40 of this blog, a powerful quote from President Wilford Woodruff:

There will be very few, if any, who will not accept the Gospel. … The fathers of this people will embrace the Gospel (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, p. 191).

Note that “the fathers of this people” may be the indication that many of the blood of Israel will “embrace the Gospel.” This means we have a great deal of family history and temple work to do for our ancestors.

Near the end of this section, Elder Nelson is quoted stating, “Zion is wherever righteous Saints are” (p. 249). Building Zion is in preparation for the Second Coming. Brigham Young emphatically stated:

We are to build up … Zion, gather the House of Israel, and redeem the nations of the earth [see D&C 115:4–6]. This people have this work to do, whether we live to see it or not. This is all in our hands.

It is obligatory upon us to see that the House of Israel have the Gospel preached to them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 325).

Joseph Smith declared the importance of this concept:

The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; it is a theme upon which prophets, priests and kings have dwelt with peculiar delight; they have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations they have sung and written and prophesied of this our day; but they died without the sight; we are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the Latter-day glory; it is left for us to see, participate in and help to roll forward the Latter-day glory (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 186).

Joseph Smith also added to what Elder Nelson stated:

Anyplace where the Saints gather is Zion, which every righteous man will build up for a place of safety for his children.

There will be here and there a Stake [of Zion] for the gathering of the Saints. … There your children shall be blessed, and you in the midst of friends where you may be blessed. The Gospel net gathers of every kind.

We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. … The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 186).

It is up to us to help keep the hope of every prophet alive. In a wonderful conference talk on the subject of this lesson, “The Gathering of Scattered Israel,” Elder Russell M. Nelson stated:

Spiritual security will always depend upon how one lives, not where one lives. Saints in every land have equal claim upon the blessings of the Lord (Ensign, Nov. 2006, 79).

Chapter 41: Postmortal Spirit World

Material for all of these chapters can be found in the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:... (the old Priesthood/Relief Society manuals). Resources are in Joseph Smith, p. 224, in Brigham Young, pp. 274-5 and chapter 38, and Wilford Woodruff, pp. 80-81. Go to the new “lds.org” click on “Go to Classic LDS.org” (lower left corner), then click on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” The manuals are all found at the bottom of this page.

Another tremendous resource for this lesson is Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual. It can be found online at “institute.lds.org” and by clicking on “Course Catalog” (along the top bar).

1 - - Life After Death
Joseph Smith taught the importance of death and “Life After Death” (title to this section):

All men know that they must die. And it is important that we should understand the reasons and causes of our exposure to the vicissitudes of life and of death, and the designs and purposes of God in our coming into the world, our sufferings here, and our departure hence. What is the object of our coming into existence, then dying and falling away, to be here no more? It is but reasonable to suppose that God would reveal something in reference to the matter, and it is a subject we ought to study more than any other. We ought to study it day and night, for the world is ignorant in reference to their true condition and relation. If we have any claim on our Heavenly Father for anything, it is for knowledge on this important subject (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 83).

The restoration brought back truths lost since New Testament times. President Woodruff explained:

A great many [people] believe when a man dies that is the end of him, that there is no hereafter. Can any sensible man believe that the God of heaven has created two or three hundred thousand million spirits, and given them tabernacles [physical bodies], merely to come and live upon the earth and then to pass away into oblivion or to be annihilated? It seems to me that no reflecting man can entertain such belief. It is contrary to common sense and to serious reflection (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 80).

President Brigham Young taught that with the doctrines of the gospel, death is not as frightening:

True, to most people it is a wretched thought that our spirits must, for a longer or shorter period, be separated from our bodies, and thousands and millions have been subject to this affliction throughout their lives. If they understood the design of this probation and the true principles of eternal life, it is but a small matter for the body to suffer and die (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 274).

Finally, President Kimball puts death in perspective:


If we say that early death is a calamity, disaster or a tragedy, would it not be saying that mortality is preferable to earlier entrance into the spirit world and to eventual salvation and exaltation? If mortality be the perfect state, then death would be a frustration but the Gospel teaches us there is no tragedy in death, but only in sin (“Tragedy or Destiny”, BYU Speeches of the Year, 6 Dec. 1955).



2 - - Where Is the Postmortal Spirit World?
While speaking at the funeral of Elder Thomas Williams, President Brigham Young spoke of the spirit world as follows: “How frequently the question arises in the minds of the people—’I wish I knew where I was going!’ Can you find out? Well, you will go into the spirit world, where Brother Thomas now is. He has now entered upon a higher state of being, that is, his spirit has, than when in this body. ‘Why cannot I see him? Why cannot I converse with his spirit? I wish I could see my husband or my father and converse with him!’ It is not reasonable that you should, it is not right that you should; perhaps you would miss the very object of your pursuit if you had this privilege, and there would be the same trial of faith to exercise you, not so severe a path of affliction for you to walk in, not so great a battle to fight, nor so great a victory to win, and you would miss the very object you are in pursuit of. It is right just as it is, that this veil should be closed down; that we do not see God, that we do not see angels, that we do not converse with them except through strict obedience to his requirements, and faith in Jesus Christ (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 279).

In this section Brigham Young said that the spirit world is “on the earth, around us” (p. 242). Following is more from him on this subject:

Can you see spirits in this room? No. Suppose the Lord should touch your eyes that you might see, could you then see the spirits? Yes, as plainly as you now see bodies, as did the servant of [Elisha] [see 2 Kings 6:16–17]. If the Lord would permit it, and it was his will that it should be done, you could see the spirits that have departed from this world, as plainly as you now see bodies with your natural eyes (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 279).

In a similar vein, Brigham Young stated:

When you lay down this tabernacle, where are you going? Into the spiritual world…Where is the spirit world? It is right here. Do the good and evil spirits go together? Yes they do…. Do they go beyond the boundaries of the organized earth? No, they do not…. Can you see it with your natural eyes? No. Can you see spirits in this room? No. Suppose the Lord should touch your eyes that you might see, could you then see the spirits? Yes, as plainly as you now see bodies (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1408).

While all spirits are “together” there is a definite division, as discussed in section 4 of this lesson.

3 - - What Is the Nature of Our Spirits?
We read in this section:

Spirits carry with them from earth their attitudes of devotion or antagonism toward things of righteousness… They have the same appetites and desires that they had when they lived on earth (p. 242). Brigham Young explained:

Suppose, then, that a man is evil in his heart—wholly given up to wickedness, and in that condition dies, his spirit will enter into the spirit world intent upon evil. On the other hand, if we are striving with all the powers and faculties God has given us to improve upon our talents, to prepare ourselves to dwell in eternal life, and the grave receives our bodies while we are thus engaged, with what disposition will our spirits enter their next state? They will be still striving to do the things of God, only in a much greater degree—learning, increasing, growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 282).

Brigham Young also stated:

The wicked spirits that leave here and go into the spirit world, are they wicked there? Yes (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 279).

In this section we read, “All spirits are in adult form” (p. 242). President Joseph F. Smith elaborated:

“The spirits of our children are immortal before they come to us, and their spirits, after bodily death, are like they were before they came. They are as they would have appeared if they had lived in the flesh, to grow to maturity, or to develop their physical bodies to the full stature of their spirits. If you see one of your children that has passed away it may appear to you in the form in which you would recognize it, the form of childhood; but if it came to you as a messenger bearing some important truth, it would perhaps come as the spirit of Bishop Edward Hunter’s son (who died when a little child) came to him, in the stature of full-grown manhood, and revealed himself to his father, and said: ‘I am your son.’

“Bishop Hunter did not understand it. He went to my father and said: ‘Hyrum, what does that mean? I buried my son when he was only a little boy, but he has come to me as a full-grown man—a noble, glorious, young man, and declared himself my son. What does it mean?’

“Father (Hyrum Smith, the Patriarch) told him that the Spirit of Jesus Christ was full-grown before he was born into the world; and so our children were full-grown and possessed their full stature in the Spirit, before they entered mortality, the same stature that they will possess after they have passed away from mortality, and as they will also appear after the resurrection, when they shall have completed their mission” (Ensign, Jan. 1977, 47).

Some have speculated that adult spirits in small bodies may be the reason for so much wiggling.

We desired so much to be like Father that we choose in part to come to earth in order to obtain a body. Something not brought out in this section, but may be important to add is that since we have desired a body for so long, when we die our spirits will dearly miss having a body. Elder Melvin J. Ballard explained:

. . . when we go out of this life, leave this body, we will desire to do many things that we cannot do at all without the body. We will be seriously handicapped, and we will long for the body, we will pray for that early reunion with our bodies. We will know then what advantage it is to have a body.

Then, every man and woman who is putting off until the next life the task of correcting and overcoming the weakness of the flesh are sentencing themselves to years of bondage, for no man or woman will come forth in the resurrection until they have completed their work, until they have overcome, until they have done as much as they can do. . . .

The point I have in mind is that we are sentencing ourselves to long periods of bondage, separating our spirits from our bodies, or we are shortening that period, according to the way in which we overcome and master ourselves (The New Testament Institute Manual, 386).

This desire our spirit will have for our body while in the spirit world is verified in scripture:

For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage (D&C 138:50).

This is also the reason we want to make and keep temple covenants is that we will then be able to be first in line to get our bodies back—in the first resurrection. In a repeat from Chapter 38 of the blog, President Faust stated this as one of the blessings promised in the temple sealing:

We can see in vision the countless couples… unspeakable joy on their countenances as they are sealed together and as there is sealed upon them through their faithfulness…the blessing of the holy Resurrection, with power to come forth in the morning of the First Resurrection clothed with glory, immortality, and eternal lives (Ensign, Aug 2001, 2).

4 - - What Are the Conditions in the Postmortal Spirit World?
While death is a sad experience for those left behind, it must be different for those already in the spirit world who meet a deceased person. President Woodruff tenderly tutored us concerning this:

When mourning the loss of our departed friends, I cannot help but think that in every death there is a birth; the spirit leaves the body dead to us, and passes to the other side of the veil alive to that great and noble company…

There is rejoicing when the spirit of a Saint of the Living God enters into the spirit world and meets with the Saints who have gone before (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 80-1).

Brigham Young elaborated on this reunion:

We have more friends behind the veil than on this side, and they will hail us more joyfully than you were ever welcomed by your parents and friends in this world; and you will rejoice more when you meet them than you ever rejoiced to see a friend in this life… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 282).

President Young also gave us some interesting insights about “conditions” in the spirit world:

When you are in the spirit world, everything there will appear as natural as things now do. Spirits will be familiar with spirits in the spirit world—will converse, behold, and exercise every variety of communication with one another as familiarly and naturally as while here in tabernacles. …You will there see that those spirits we are speaking of are active; they sleep not. And you will learn that they are striving with all their might—laboring and toiling diligently as any individual would to accomplish an act in this world.

They walk, converse, and have their meetings…

The brightness and glory of the next apartment is inexpressible. It is not encumbered so that when we advance in years we have to be stubbing along and be careful lest we fall down. We see our youth, even, frequently stubbing their toes and falling down. But yonder, how different! They move with ease and like lightning. If we want to visit Jerusalem, or this, that, or the other place—and I presume we will be permitted if we desire—there we are, looking at its streets. If we want to behold Jerusalem as it was in the days of the Savior; or if we want to see the Garden of Eden as it was when created, there we are, and we see it as it existed…when there we may behold the earth as at the dawn of creation, or we may visit any city we please that exists upon its surface. If we wish to understand how they are living here on these western islands, or in China, we are there; in fact, we are like the light of the morning.

When we pass into the spirit world we shall possess a measure of his power. Here, we are continually troubled with ills and ailments of various kinds. In the spirit world we are free from all this and enjoy life, glory, and intelligence… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 281-2).

A good friend of ours, Dale Mouritsen, wrote a wonderful article for the Ensign in which he related:

President George Albert Smith, after an experience with the spirit world, described the part of that world he saw:

“One day … I lost consciousness of my surroundings and thought I had passed to the Other Side. I found my self standing with my back to a large and beautiful lake, facing a great forest of trees. There was no one in sight, and there was no boat upon the lake or any other visible means to indicate how I might have arrived there. I realized, or seemed to realize, that I had finished my work in mortality and had gone home. I began to look around, to see if I could not find someone. There was no evidence of anyone’s living there, just those great, beautiful trees in front of me and the wonderful lake behind me.

“I began to explore, and soon I found a trail through the woods which seemed to have been used very little, and which was almost obscured by grass.” President Smith followed the trail and after some time met his grandfather, with whom he conversed (Ensign, Jan. 1977, 47).

Following is an account of President Jedediah M. Grant, of the First Presidency, of which there will be a fuller introduction later in the section on “Paradise”:

The buildings were exceptionally attractive, far exceeding in beauty his opinion of Solomon’s temple. Gardens were more beautiful than any he had seen on earth, with “flowers of numerous kinds.” After experiencing “the beauty and glory of the spirit world” among the righteous spirits, he regretted having to return to his body in mortality (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1409).

In this section we learn about “two divisions or states in the spirit world” (p. 242). Joseph Fielding Smith stated:

The spirits of all men, as soon as they depart from this mortal body, whether they are good or evil, we are told in the Book of Mormon, are taken home to that God who gave them life, where there is a separation, a partial judgment, and the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness which is called , a state of rest, a state of peace, where they expand in wisdom, where they have respite from all their troubles, and where care and sorrow do not annoy. The wicked, on the contrary, have no part nor portion in the Spirit of the Lord, and they are cast into outer darkness, being led captive, because of their own iniquity, by the evil one.

And in this space between death and the resurrection of the body, the two classes of souls remain, in happiness or in misery, until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth and be reunited both spirit and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works. This is the final judgment (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 83).

There will be more on this later in section 4 B (Spirit Prison).

3 A - - Paradise
This section states, “…the righteous spirits rest from earthly care and sorrow” (p. 243). Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught:

—the abode of righteous spirits, as they await the day of their resurrection; —a place of peace and rest where the sorrows and trials of his life have been shuffled off, and where the saints continue to prepare for a celestial heaven; —not the Lord’s eternal kingdom, but a way station along the course leading to eternal life, a place where the final preparation is made for that fulness of joy which comes only when body and spirit are inseparably connected in immortal glory! (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 84).

In this section we read that spirits “are occupied in doing the work of the Lord” (p. 243). Joseph Smith was talking about paradise and this “work” when he declared:

The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work; hence they are blessed in their departure to the world of spirits. Enveloped in flaming fire, they are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are often pained therewith (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1409).

We, as children of God, are also “the work of the Lord.” Concerning how at times those who have died can be involved with us and our lives, Robert L. Millet wrote about President Joseph F. Smith:

At the April 1916 general conference President [Joseph F.] Smith…spoke of the nearness of the world of spirits, and of their interest and concern for us and our labors exercised by those who have passed beyond the veil. He stressed that those who labored so diligently in their mortal estate to establish the cause of Zion would not be denied the privilege of “looking down upon the results of their own labors” from their post-mortal estate… In fact, the President insisted, “they are as deeply interested in our welfare today, if not with greater capacity, with far more interest, behind the veil, than they were in the flesh” (Studies in Scripture: The Doctrine and Covenants, 556).

In the Ensign article by Dale Mouritsen referred to earlier, we read:

One sister who visited the spirit world and was recalled to mortality by President Lorenzo Snow had personal experience… “Some inquired about their friends and relatives on the earth. Among the number was my cousin. He asked me how the folks were getting along and said it grieved him to hear that some of the boys were using tobacco, liquor and many things that were injurious to them” (Ensign, Jan. 1977, 47).

Perhaps this is what President Ezra Taft Benson meant when he said:

The spirit world is not far away. Sometimes the veil between this life and the life beyond becomes very thin. Our loved ones who have passed on are not far from us (Ensign, June 1971, 33).

President Boyd Packer also taught:

It is a veil, not a wall, that separates us from the spirit world. ... Veils can become thin, even parted. We are not left to do this work alone. They who have preceded us...and our forebears there, on occasion, are very close to us. ... Those who go beyond the veil yet live and minister here (Ensign, May 1987, 22).

President Kimball also related:

...my grandfather...searched all his life to get together his genealogical records; and when he died... he had been unsuccessful in establishing his line back more than the second generation beyond him. I am sure that most of my family members feel the same as I do – that there was a thin veil between him and the earth, after he had gone to the other side, and that which he was unable to do as a mortal he perhaps was able to do after he had gone into eternity. After he passed away, the spirit of research took hold of...two distant relatives. ... The family feels definitely that the spirit of Elijah was at work on the other side and that our grandfather had been able to inspire men on this side to search out these records; and as a result, two large volumes are in our possession with about seventeen thousand names (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 543).

President Benson stated that directions from leaders in the spirit world influence the Church today:

Sometimes actions here, by the priesthood of God, the First Presidency and the Twelve, as we meet in the temple, have been planned and influenced by leaders of the priesthood on the other side. I am sure of that. We have evidence of it. (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p.35)

Since paradise is a place “work of the Lord” it is also a place of learning and progression. President Woodruff made a wonderful statement about this learning:

If the veil could be taken from our eyes and we could see into the spirit world, we would see that Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and John Taylor had gathered together every spirit that ever dwelt in the flesh in this Church since its organization. We would also see the faithful apostles and elders of the Nephites who dwelt in the flesh in the days of Jesus Christ. In that assembly we would also see Isaiah and every prophet and apostle that ever prophesied of the great work of God. In the midst of those spirits we would see the Son of God, the Savior, who presides and guides and controls the preparing for the kingdom of God on the earth and in heaven…The Son of God stands in the midst of that body of celestial spirits, and teaches them their duties concerning the day in which we live and instructs them what they must do to prepare and qualify themselves to go with him to the earth when he comes to judge every man according to the deeds done in the body. (We Believe, 169)

We know that the “work of the Lord” has included church organization in premortality as well as mortality. This will obviously continue in postmortality. President Brigham Young discussed in part how this will continue:

When the faithful Elders, holding this Priesthood, go into the spirit world they carry with them the same power and Priesthood that they had while in the mortal tabernacle (Ensign, Jan. 1977, 47).

President Benson also taught:

On the other side of the veil, the righteous are taught their duties preparatory to the time when they will return with the Son of Man to earth when He comes again, this time to judge every man according to his works. These righteous spirits are close by us. They are organized according to priesthood order in family organizations as we are here; only there they exist in a more perfect order. This was revealed to the Prophet Joseph. (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 35-36)

Perhaps one of the reasons it is named “paradise” is that Satan is not there. Brigham Young explained:

If we are faithful to our religion, when we go into the spirit world, the fallen spirits—Lucifer and the third part of the heavenly hosts that came with him, and the spirits of wicked men who have dwelt upon this earth, the whole of them combined will have no influence over our spirits. Is not that an advantage? Yes. All the rest of the children of men are more or less subject to them, and they are subject to them as they were while here in the flesh.

Here [the faithful] shall be perplexed and hunted by him; but when we go into the spirit world there we are masters over the power of satan, and he cannot afflict us any more… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 282).

This may also be why Brigham Young instructed concerning paradise a wonderful idea:

…we have the Father to speak to us, Jesus to speak to us, and angels to speak to us, and we shall enjoy the society of the just and the pure who are in the spirit world until the resurrection (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 282).

In the last paragraph of this section, the description of the spirit world from President Jedediah M. Grant is discussed. An expanded account which follows discusses some of the above:

A statement regarding conditions in the spirit world among the righteous was given in 1856 by Jedediah M. Grant, a member of the First Presidency. He had related to President Heber C. Kimball a vision he had had of the spirit world, which President Kimball subsequently discussed at Grant’s funeral a few days later on December 4, 1856. Although an unofficial statement, it represents concepts generally held by Latter-day Saints. A summary follows: Jedediah Grant saw the righteous gathered in the spirit world; there were no wicked spirits among them. There were order, government, and organization. Among the righteous there was no disorder, darkness, or confusion. They were organized into families, and there was “perfect harmony.” He saw his wife, with whom he conversed, and many other persons whom he knew. There was “a deficiency in some” families, because some individuals “had not honored their calling” on earth and therefore were not “permitted to…dwell together” (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1409).

President George Albert Smith tells a story relevant here:


I am here reminded of a story of two brothers who lived in a northern Utah town: The older brother, Henry, was a banker and merchant, and had ample means. The other brother, George, was a farmer, and did not have very much beyond his needs, but he had a desire to do temple work for their dead. He searched out their genealogy and went to the temple and worked for those who had passed on.

One day George said to Henry, “I think you should go down to the temple and help.”

But Henry said, “I haven’t time to do anything like that. It takes me all my time to take care of my business.” …

About a year after that, Henry called at George’s home and said, “George, I have had a dream, and it worries me. I wonder if you can tell me what it means?”

George asked, “What did you dream, Henry?”

Henry said, “I dreamed that you and I had passed from this life and were on the other side of the veil. As we went along, we came to a beautiful city. People were gathered together in groups in many places, and every place we came they shook your hand and put their arms around you and blessed you and said how thankful they were to see you, but,” he said, “they didn’t pay a bit of attention to me; they were hardly friendly. What does that mean?”

George asked, “You thought we were on the other side of the veil?”

“Yes.”

“Well, this is what I have been talking to you about. I have been trying to get you to do the work for those people who are over there. I have been doing work for many of them, but the work for many more is yet to be done. … You had better get busy, because you have had a taste of what you may expect when you get over there if you do not do your part in performing this work for them.” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith, 86)

It seems we must keep the covenants we have made in the temple in order to be with our families in paradise.


3 B - - Spirit Prison
It may be important to help understand how righteous and wicked spirits are all in the same spirit world and yet are divided into two states, as taught in this section. In the Encyclopedia of Mormonism we read:

In Latter-day Saint doctrine the “spirit prison” is both a condition and a place within the postearthly spirit world (p. 1406).

As previously mentioned, in section 4 we learned about the “two divisions or states in the spirit world” (p. 242). It may be important to understand more about the wall that separates paradise from spirit prison. The Savoir talked of this as a gulf in the story of Lazarus and the rich man:

…between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence (Luke 16:26).

The Atonement changed all of that:

Bruce R. McConkie explained, “Until the death of Christ these two spirit abodes were separated by a great gulf, with the intermingling of their respective inhabitants strictly forbidden. (Luke 16:19-31.) After our Lord bridged the gulf between the two (1 Pet. 3:18-21; Moses 7:37-39), the affairs of his kingdom in the spirit world were so arranged that righteous spirits began teaching the gospel to wicked ones.”

An important LDS doctrine states that Jesus Christ inaugurated the preaching of the gospel and organized a mission in the spirit world during his ministry there between his death and resurrection. This is the substance of a revelation recorded as Doctrine and Covenants section 138. Since Jesus’ visit there, the gospel has been taught vigorously in the spirit world (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1409).

The Atonement of Jesus Christ bridged that gulf. D&C 138 is all about how this wall can be breached, allowing movement from one place to the other. Only those who come to Christ through the principles and ordinances in Articles of Faith # 4 can leave spirit prison and enter into paradise. This is what is referred to in the first paragraph of this section:

If they [those in spirit prison] accept the gospel and the ordinances performed for them in the temples, they may leave the spirit prison and dwell in paradise (p. 244).

As we read in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

Repentance of imprisoned spirits opens the doors of the prison, enabling them to loose themselves from the spiritual darkness of unbelief, ignorance, and sin. As they accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and cast off their sins, the repentant are able to break the chains of hell and dwell with the righteous in paradise (p. 1406).

Indeed, that this “wall” between paradise and spirit prison literally separates “righteous” from “wicked” can be found in a definition of “wicked” given by the Savior:

…the wicked, for they will not repent… (D&C 29:17).

First, however, those in spirit prison must be taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the fifth paragraph of this section we read, “The spirits in paradise can teach the spirits in prison” (p. 243). President Joseph F. Smith discussed this:

Not a soul that has ever lived and died from off the face of this earth shall escape a chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. If they receive it and obey it, the ordinances of the gospel will be performed for and in their behalf, by their kindred, or their posterity in some generation of time after them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 307).

President Brigham Young also explained about these “spirits in prison”:

Compare those inhabitants on the earth who have heard the Gospel in our day, with the millions who have never heard it, or had the keys of salvation presented to them, and you will conclude at once as I do, that there is an almighty work to perform in the spirit world” (Ensign, Jan. 1977, 47).

Brigham Young taught about those who will help organize this teaching in spirit prison:

…the spirits of good men like Joseph and the Elders, who have left this Church on earth for a season to operate in another sphere, are rallying all their powers and going from place to place preaching the Gospel, and Joseph is directing them, saying, go ahead, my brethren, and if they hedge up your way, walk up and command them to disperse. You have the Priesthood and can disperse them, but if any of them wish to hear the Gospel, preach to them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 281).

Brigham Young further explained more about who will teach as well as the importance of this teaching:

Father Smith [Joseph Smith Sr.] and Carlos [Smith] and Brother [Edward] Partridge, yes, and every other good Saint, are just as busy in the spirit world as you and I are here. They can see us, but we cannot see them unless our eyes were opened. What are they doing there? They are preaching, preaching all the time, and preparing the way for us to hasten our work in building temples here and elsewhere.

Every faithful man’s labor will continue as long as the labor of Jesus, until all things are redeemed that can be redeemed, and presented to the Father. There is a great work before us (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 280).

Similarly, President Joseph F. Smith declared:

This gospel revealed to the Prophet Joseph is already being preached to the spirits in prison, to those who have passed away from this stage of action into the spirit world without the knowledge of the gospel. Joseph Smith is preaching that gospel to them. So is Hyrum Smith. So is Brigham Young, and so are all the faithful apostles that lived in this dispensation under the administration of the Prophet Joseph [see D&C 138:36–37, 51–54]. They are there, having carried with them from here the holy Priesthood that they received under authority, and which was conferred upon them in the flesh; they are preaching the gospel to the spirits in prison; for Christ, when his body lay in the tomb, went to proclaim liberty to the captives and opened the prison doors to them that were bound [see D&C 138:27–30]. Not only are these engaged in that work but hundreds and thousands of others; the elders that have died in the mission field have not finished their missions, but they are continuing them in the spirit world [see D&C 138:57]. Possibly the Lord saw it necessary or proper to call them hence as he did.

I have always believed, and still do believe with all my soul, that such men as Peter and James and the twelve disciples chosen by the Savior in his time, have been engaged all the centuries that have passed since their martyrdom for the testimony of Jesus Christ, in proclaiming liberty to the captives in the spirit world and in opening their prison doors [see D&C 138:38–50]. I do not believe that they could be employed in any greater work. Their special calling and anointing of the Lord himself was to save the world, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison doors to those who were bound in chains of darkness, superstition, and ignorance (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 411).

President Woodruff added:

Joseph Smith, Heber Kimball, George A. Smith and thousands of the elders of Israel may preach to those spirits, and they may receive the testimonies which the elders bear; but the elders will not baptize believers there; there is no baptism in the spirit world any more than there is any marrying and giving in marriage (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 188).

The above statement seems to refer to Matthew 22:23-32, where Jesus taught:

For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven (Matthew 22:30).

Concerning this doctrine, President Wilford Woodruff explained:

As I said before, the God of heaven requires this at your hands. They will not baptize anybody in the spirit world; there is no baptism there; there is no marrying or giving in marriage there; all these ordinances have to be performed on the earth (Journal of Discourses, 18:114).

As a secondary source, utilizing the “LDS Scripture Citation Index” (found online at “scriptures.byu.edu”) under Matthew 22:30, another explanation of this was found from Elder Theodore M. Burton, Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve, and brother to my mission president:

Thus either in this life or in the spirit world each man and woman who has lived upon this earth is given an opportunity to covenant with God through baptism to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Father. However, just as Jesus taught that there is no marrying in heaven ( Matt. 22:30), so there can be no baptism in heaven. Both baptism and marriage are earthly ordinances which must be performed here (Conference Report, April 1964, 71).

This, of course, is where the last lesson on “Temple and Family History” comes into play.

President Woodruff explained that this “missionary work” to the spirits in prison is merely a continuation of what we are commanded to do in this life (see also Chapter 33):

…the spirit leaves the body dead to us, and passes to the other side of the veil alive to that great and noble company that are also working for the accomplishment of the purposes of God, in the redemption and salvation of a fallen world.

Some labor this side of the veil, others on the other side of the veil. If we tarry here we expect to labor in the cause of salvation, and if we go hence we expect to continue our work until the coming of the Son of Man (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 80-1).

Similarly, Brigham Young stated:

The spirits that dwell in these tabernacles on this earth, when they leave them go directly into this world of spirits. What! A congregated mass of inhabitants there in spirit, mingling with each other, as they do here? Yes, brethren, they are there together, and if they associate together, and collect together, in clans and in societies as they do here, it is their privilege. No doubt they yet, more or less, see, hear, converse and have to do with each other, both good and bad. If the Elders of Israel in these latter times go and preach to the spirits in prison, they associate with them, precisely as our Elders associate with the wicked in the flesh, when they go to preach to them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 280-1).

This “missionary work” in the spirit world apparently sometimes means that some are called from this mortality to help. In a talk, President Wilford Woodruff related the experience of Abraham H. Cannon, an apostle, who inquired of the Lord about his son’s death. Elder Cannon said:

I asked the Lord why he was taken from me. The answer to me was, “You are doing a great deal for the redemption of your dead; but the law of redemption requires some of your own seed in the spirit world to attend to work connected with this.” That was a new principle to me; but it satisfied me why he was taken away. I name this, because there are a great many instances like it among the Latter-day Saints (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 292).

Elder Neal A. Maxwell also explained:

We do not control what I call “the great transfer board in the sky.” The inconveniences that are sometimes associated with release from our labors here are necessary in order to accelerate the work there. Heavenly Father can’t do His work there, with 10 times more people than we have on this planet, without on occasion taking some of the very best sisters and brothers from among us (Ensign, July 2002, 56).

Joseph F. Smith gave an interesting insight about women and this wonderful missionary work in the spirit world:

Now, among all…spirits that have lived on the earth and have passed away…at least one half are women. Who is going to preach the gospel to the women? Who is going to carry the testimony of Jesus Christ to the hearts of the women who have passed away without a knowledge of the gospel? Well, to my mind, it is a simple thing. These good sisters that have been set apart, ordained to the work, called to it, authorized by the authority of the Holy Priesthood to minister, for their sex, in the House of God for the living and the dead, will be fully authorized and empowered to preach the gospel and minister to the women while the elders and prophets are preaching it to the men. The things we experience here are typical of the things of God and the life beyond us. (Latter-day Prophets Speak, p. 35)

This is a terrific parallel to the work done in temples today by sister ordinance workers.

During the last adult institute class that we teach (Chapter 41), we were discussing the idea that to prepare for the Second Coming as the Savior commanded in Matthew 25:36, we should visit those in “prison” by doing temple work for the dead. A member of the class, John Johnson, used his “super powers” (well, super in our eyes, since we don’t have one of those super-advanced phones) to dial up the following quote from the Dedicatory Prayer for the Vernal Utah temple by President Hinckley:

Prison doors will be opened for those beyond the veil of death. Within these sacred walls the dividing line between the living and the dead will soften as Thy glorious work is carried forward.

If you want to read the whole prayer, just block and paste the following link into the address bar:

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/temples/122/Vernal-Utah.html

In the second paragraph of this section is discussed the idea that spirit prison is also referred to as “hell.” Joseph Smith declared:

God has decreed that all who will not obey His voice shall not escape the damnation of hell. What is the damnation of hell? To go with that society who have not obeyed His commands. … I know that all men will be damned if they do not come in the way which He hath opened, and this is the way marked out by the word of the Lord.

The great misery of departed spirits in the world of spirits, where they go after death, is to know that they come short of the glory that others enjoy and that they might have enjoyed themselves, and they are their own accusers (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 224).

Elder Bruce R. McConkie also noted:

That part of the spirit world inhabited by wicked spirits who are awaiting the eventual day of their resurrection is called hell. Between their death and resurrection, these souls of the wicked are cast out into outer darkness, into the gloomy depression of sheol, into the hades of waiting wicked spirits, into hell. There they suffer the torments of the damned; there they welter in the vengeance of eternal fire; there is found weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth; there the fiery indignation of the wrath of God is poured out upon the wicked ( Alma 40:11–14 ; D. & C. 76:103–106)” (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 84).

It may be interesting to discuss the concept of “death bed repentance” here. Some have justified this false concept by the statement made by Jesus to the thief on the cross next to Him (only found in Luke):

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).

Joseph Smith discussed this:

I will say something about the spirits in prison. There has been much said by modern divines about the words of Jesus (when on the cross) to the thief, saying, “this day shalt thou be with me in . …There is nothing in the original word in Greek, from which this was taken that signifies ; but it was—This day thou shalt be with me in the world of spirits.

…what is hell? It is another modern term, and is taken from hades. …Hades, the Greek, or Sheol, the Hebrew, these two significations mean a world of spirits. Hades, Sheol, , spirits in prison, are all one: it is a world of spirits.

The righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until the resurrection (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 309-10).

Here is a final note on teaching those in spirit prison. We repeat from Chapter 40 of this blog the opinion given by President Lorenzo Snow:

… when the Gospel is preached to the spirits in prison, the success attending that preaching will be far greater than that attending the preaching of our Elders in this life. I believe there will be very few indeed of those spirits who will not gladly receive the Gospel when it is carried to them. The circumstances there will be a thousand times more favorable (Ensign, Jan. 1977, 47).

Chapter 40: Temple Work & Family History

Lots of material for all of these chapters can be found in the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:... (the old Priesthood/Relief Society manuals). Resources are in Joseph Smith, chapters 36 and 41; for Brigham Young, chapters 41 and 42; in John Taylor, chapter 20; For Wilford Woodruff, chapter 17 and 18; for Joseph F. Smith, chapters 34 and 46; for Heber J. Grant, chapter 6; for David O. McKay, chapters 13 and 16; for Harold B. Lee 11. These can all be found by going to the new “lds.org” then click on “Go to Classic LDS.org” (lower left corner), then click on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” The manuals are all found at the bottom of this page.

A great resource for this lesson is the October 2010 Ensign, a special edition on Temples.

1 - - Heavenly Father Wants His Children to Return to Him

Concerning the title of this section, the chapter in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant in appropriately entitled, “Uniting Families through Temple and Family History Work” and has the heading, “Temple ordinances extend the opportunity of exaltation to God’s children on both sides of the veil” (p. 51).

President John Taylor added:

We are here to cooperate with God in the salvation of the living [and] in the redemption of the dead (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 183).

This wonderful section outlines the plan for those born on the earth without the gospel during their lives to have their work done for them. Joseph Smith taught:

All those who have not had an opportunity of hearing the Gospel, and being administered unto by an inspired man in the flesh, must have it hereafter, before they can be finally judged.
It is no more incredible that God should save the dead, than that he should raise the dead.
There is never a time when the spirit is too old to approach God. All are within the reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed the unpardonable sin, which hath no forgiveness, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. There is a way to release the spirits of the dead; that is by the power and authority of the Priesthood—by binding and loosing on earth. This doctrine appears glorious, inasmuch as it exhibits the greatness of divine compassion and benevolence in the extent of the plan of human salvation (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 471).

Brigham Young elaborated:

Hundreds of millions of human beings have been born, lived out their short earthly span, and passed away, ignorant alike of themselves and of the plan of salvation provided for them. It gives great consolation, however, to know that this glorious plan devised by Heaven follows them into the next existence, offering for their acceptance eternal life and exaltation to thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers in the presence of their Father and God, through Jesus Christ, his Son.
There is an opportunity for men who are in the spirit to receive the Gospel. Jesus…Hence you perceive that there, spirits have the privilege of embracing the truth.

You may ask if they are baptized there? No. Can they have hands laid upon them for the gift of the Holy Ghost? No. None of the outward ordinances that pertain to the flesh are administered there, but the light, glory, and power of the Holy Ghost are enjoyed just as freely as upon this earth; and there are laws which govern and control the spirit world, and to which they are subject.

Can we do anything for them? Yes…

This doctrine of baptism for the dead is a great doctrine, one of the most glorious doctrines that was revealed to the human family; and there are light, power, glory, honor and immortality in it.
Many a man I know of, who has fallen asleep [died], we have been baptized for, since the Church was organized—good, honest, honorable men, charitable to all, living good, virtuous lives. We will not let them go down to hell; God will not. The plan of salvation is ample to bring them all up and place them where they may enjoy all they could anticipate.

They have passed the ordeals [of mortality], and are beyond the possibility of personally officiating for the remission of their sins and for their exaltation, consequently they are under the necessity of trusting in their friends, their children and their children’s children to officiate for them, that they may be brought up into the celestial kingdom of God.

What do you suppose the fathers would say if they could speak from the dead? Would they not say, “We have lain here thousands of years, here in this prison house, waiting for this dispensation to come?” … What would they whisper in our ears? Why, if they had the power the very thunders of heaven would be in our ears, if we could realize the importance of the work we are engaged in. All the angels in heaven are looking at this little handful of people, and stimulating them to the salvation of the human family. So also are the devils in hell looking at this people, too, and trying to overthrow us, and the people are still shaking hands with the servants of the devil, instead of sanctifying themselves and calling upon the Lord and doing the work which he has commanded us and put into our hands to do (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 307-8).

President John Taylor also explained:

…so little of the gospel having been revealed in the different ages, and so much of the power of darkness and iniquity having prevailed among men, it was necessary that something should be done for the dead as well as the living. God is interested in the dead as well as the living (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 184).

President Woodruff clarified:

If the dead have not heard the Gospel, the Lord is not going to send them to hell because they have not received it. The Lord is the Father of all. He is merciful to all. … Millions of people have been born in the flesh, have lived and have gone to the grave, who never saw the face of a prophet in their lives; never saw a man that was called of God and had power to administer in one of the ordinances of the House of God. Will God condemn them because they did not receive the Gospel? Not at all.

God is no respecter of persons; he will not give privileges to one generation and withhold them from another; and the whole human family, from father Adam down to our day, have got to have the privilege, somewhere, of hearing the gospel of Christ; and the generations that have passed and gone without hearing that gospel in its fulness, power and glory, will never be held responsible by God for not obeying it. Neither will he bring them under condemnation for rejecting a law they never saw or understood; and if they live up to the light they had they are justified so far, and they have to be preached to in the spirit world (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 186-7).

President McKay related the following story concerning the unfairness without this doctrine:

A Chinese student, returning to his homeland, having graduated from one of our leading colleges, was in conversation with a Christian minister, also en route to China. When this minister urged the truth that only through acceptance of Christ’s teachings can any man be saved, the [student] said: “Then what about my ancestors who never had an opportunity to hear the name of Jesus?”

The minister answered: “They are lost.” Said the student: “I will have nothing to do with a religion so unjust as to condemn to eternal punishment men and women who are just as noble as we, perhaps nobler, but who never had an opportunity to hear the name of Jesus.”

One who understands the truth, as revealed to the Prophet Joseph regarding this doctrine, would have answered: “They will have an opportunity to hear the gospel, and to obey every principle and ordinance by proxy. Every man here or hereafter will be judged and rewarded according to his works.”

Since repentance and baptism by water as well as by the Spirit are essential to salvation, how shall the millions who have never heard the Gospel, who have never had an opportunity either to repent or to be baptized, enter into the kingdom of God? Surely a God of love can never be satisfied if the majority of His children are outside His kingdom, dwelling eternally either in ignorance, misery or hell. Such a thought is revolting to intelligent min (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 128).

We only get hints from the New Testament of the doctrine of baptism for the dead. President McKay elaborated on 1 Corinthians 15:29 (see Additional Scriptures, p. 239):

Paul referred to [the] practice of baptism [for the dead] in his argument in favor of the resurrection. He said, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?” (1 Cor. 15:29). … Not a few commentators have tried to explain away [this passage’s] true significance; but its context proves plainly that in the days of the apostles there existed the practice of baptism for the dead; that is, living persons were immersed in water for and in behalf of those who were dead—not who were “dead to sin” but who had “passed to the other side.”
You may have the opportunity of gathering the names of your ancestors, who, being baptized by proxy, may become members of the kingdom of God in the other world as we are members here (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 129, 130).

As the manual explained, “God has provided a way” (p. 233) for His children. President Woodruff discussed what this restored doctrine meant to him:

In October 1841, soon after returning to Nauvoo from a mission in England, Elder Wilford Woodruff attended a meeting in which the Prophet Joseph Smith taught the doctrine of the redemption of the dead. This was the first time Elder Woodruff heard that living members of the Church could receive saving ordinances in behalf of their ancestors who had passed away. He said: “It was like a shaft of light from the throne of God to our hearts. It opened a field wide as eternity to our minds. …I felt to say hallelujah when the revelation came forth revealing to us baptism for the dead. I felt that we had a right to rejoice in the blessings of Heaven.” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 185).

2 - - Temples of the Lord

President John Taylor expounded on the power of a temple:

While speaking at the dedication of the Logan Utah Temple site, President Taylor shared with the congregation the feelings he experienced when he visited the St. George Utah Temple, the first temple completed in the Utah Territory:

“When I visited that holy Temple, accompanied by my brethren who were with me, we experienced a sacred thrill of joy and a solemn, reverential sensation. As we entered its sacred portals, we felt that we were standing on holy ground, and experienced, with one of old, ‘Surely this is the house of God, and the gate of heaven’” [See Genesis 28:17.] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 183).

The first temple in the latter days was in Kirtland. Joseph Smith declared its importance:

The Lord commanded us, in Kirtland, to build a house of God; … this is the word of the Lord to us, and we must, yea, the Lord helping us, we will obey: as on conditions of our obedience He has promised us great things… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 415).

The next temple to be completed was in Nauvoo. Joseph explained its genesis:

In March 1844, the Prophet met with the Twelve and the Nauvoo Temple committee to discuss how to allocate the Church’s meager resources. In this meeting, the Prophet said: “We need the temple more than anything else.” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 416).

The Kirtland temple appears to be built mainly to receive keys. Joseph learned more about the importance of temples:

What was the object of gathering the … people of God in any age of the world? … The main object was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation; for there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 416).

Joseph also learned more about what would happen in the Nauvoo temple concerning work for the dead:

…there must be a particular spot for the salvation of our dead. I verily believe there will be a place, and hence men who want to save their dead can come and bring their families, do their work by being baptized and attending to the other ordinances for their dead (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 418).

The first “particular spot” for baptisms for the dead was the Mississippi River. Joseph explained:

I first mentioned the doctrine in public when preaching the funeral sermon of Brother Seymour Brunson; and have since then given general instructions in the Church on the subject. The Saints have the privilege of being baptized for those of their relatives who are dead. … Without enlarging on the subject, you will undoubtedly see its consistency and reasonableness; and it presents the Gospel of Christ in probably a more enlarged scale than some have imagined it.
At first, baptisms for the dead had been performed in the Mississippi River or in local streams. But in January 1841, when the Saints were making plans for the Nauvoo Temple, the Lord declared: “A baptismal font there is not upon the earth, that they, my saints, may be baptized for those who are dead—for this ordinance belongeth to my house, and cannot be acceptable to me, only in the days of your poverty, wherein ye are not able to build a house unto me” (D&C 124:29–30).

Proxy baptisms in the river were discontinued on October 3, 1841, when the Prophet announced: “There shall be no more baptisms for the dead, until the ordinance can be attended to in the Lord’s House. … For thus saith the Lord!” The Saints quickly began building a temporary wooden font in the newly excavated basement of the Nauvoo Temple. The font, built of Wisconsin pine, rested on the backs of 12 wooden oxen. It was dedicated on November 8, for use “until the Temple shall be finished, when a more durable one will supply its place.” On November 21, 1841, six members of the Quorum of the Twelve performed baptisms for 40 people who had died, the first baptisms for the dead performed in the font. (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 469-72).

While baptisms for the dead were being performed, Joseph also revealed the endowment that would be later given in the temple:

The group met in the large upper room of the Prophet’s Red Brick Store, which had been “arranged representing the interior of a temple as much as the circumstances would permit.” Franklin D. Richards, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote: “When the Spirit prompted [Joseph Smith] that his life’s work was drawing to a close, and when he saw that his earthly days might be ended before the completion of the temple, he called a chosen few, and conferred upon them the ordinances of the holy endowments, so that the divine treasures of his mind might not perish from the world with his death” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 413).

Although initially the Nauvoo temple was utilized for baptisms for the dead, it soon became the place for the endowment to be given to all who wanted it:

As persecution increased and the need to leave Nauvoo pressed upon the Saints, President Brigham Young labored in the temple to bless the Saints with sacred ordinances before their departure. He recorded that on one day, “one hundred and forty-three persons received their endowments in the Temple. … Such has been the anxiety manifested by the saints to receive the ordinances [of the Temple], and such the anxiety on our part to administer to them, that I have given myself up entirely to the work of the Lord in the Temple night and day, not taking more than four hours sleep, upon an average, per day, and going home but once a week”. When he arrived in the west, President Young immediately selected a site for a new temple (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 299).

Brigham Young expressed the idea that temples draw Satan’s fire:

Some say, “I do not like to do it, for we never began to build a temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring.” I want to hear them ring again.

We completed a temple in Kirtland and in Nauvoo; and did not the bells of hell toll all the time we were building them? They did, every week and every day (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 300).

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf also stated:

President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901), First Counselor in the First Presidency, once said, "Every foundation stone that is laid for a Temple, and every Temple completed . . . lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness (Ensign, Aug. 2010, 4).

President Woodruff was able to dedicate the Salt Lake temple:

While serving as President of the Church, Wilford Woodruff dedicated the Salt Lake Temple. On that occasion he pleaded with the Lord to help the Saints in their efforts to redeem the dead: “Wilt thou … permit holy messengers to visit us within these sacred walls and make known unto us with regard to the work we should perform in behalf of our dead. And, as thou hast inclined the hearts of many who have not yet entered into covenant with thee to search out their progenitors, and in so doing they have traced the ancestry of many of thy Saints, we pray thee that thou wilt increase this desire in their bosoms, that they may in this way aid in the accomplishment of thy work. Bless them, we pray thee, in their labors, that they may not fall into errors in preparing their genealogies; and furthermore, we ask thee to open before them new avenues of information, and place in their hands the records of the past, that their work may not only be correct but complete also” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 186).

President Woodruff also declared how important temples are to us:

There is no labor in which the Latter-day Saints feel more deeply interested than in the building and completing of temples.

No right feeling Latter-day Saint can think upon this subject without being thrilled with heavenly joy for what God has done for us in our generation, furnishing us, as He has done, with every facility to prepare us, our posterity and our ancestors for that eternal world which lies beyond the present life (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 174, 176).

3 - - Temple Ordinances Seal Families Together Forever

Joseph Smith explained that temple ordinances were premortal:

Ordinances instituted in the heavens before the foundation of the world, in the priesthood, for the salvation of men, are not to be altered or changed. All must be saved on the same principles (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 417).

In the first paragraph of this section scriptures regarding the binding of families are quoted. Several prophets have explained that this binding is necessary for the whole human family who accepts Christ. Brigham Young said:

When we come to … sealing ordinances [for the dead], ordinances pertaining to the holy Priesthood, to connect the chain of the Priesthood from Father Adam until now, by sealing children to their parents, being sealed for our forefathers, etc, they cannot be done without a temple. When the ordinances are carried out in the temples that will be erected, [children] will be sealed to their [parents], and those who have slept, clear up to Father Adam. This will have to be done, because of the chain of the Priesthood being broken upon the earth.

The fathers cannot be made perfect without us; we cannot be made perfect without the fathers. There must be this chain in the holy Priesthood; it must be welded together from the latest generation that lives on the earth back to Father Adam (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 303, 310).

President John Taylor also stated:

…that our sealings and ordinances may be performed in a manner that will be acceptable before God and the holy angels; that whatsoever is bound on the earth according to the laws of the eternal priesthood shall be bound in the heavens; that there may be a connecting link between the living and the dead… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 186).

President Woodruff explained:

Unto the Latter-day Saints the sealing ordinances have been revealed, and they will have effect after death, and, as I have said, will re-unite men and women eternally in the family organization. Herein is why these principles are a part of our religion, and by them husbands and wives, parents and children will be re-united until the links in the chain are re-united back to Father Adam. We could not obtain a fullness of celestial glory without this sealing ordinance.
This is worth all you or I can sacrifice the few years we have to spend here in the flesh.
He [Joseph Smith] told us that there must be a welding link of all dispensations and of the work of God from one generation to another [see D&C 128:18]. This was upon his mind more than most any other subject that was given to him.

In my prayers the Lord revealed to me that it was my duty to say to all Israel to carry this principle out, and in fulfillment of that revelation I lay it before this people. … We want the Latter-day Saints from this time to trace their genealogies as far as they can, and to be sealed to their fathers and mothers. Have children sealed to their parents, and run this chain through as far as you can get it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 176-7).

President Joseph F. Smith further declared:

There has got to be a welding together and a joining together of parents and children and children and parents until the whole chain of God’s family shall be welded together into one chain, and they shall all become the family of God and His Christ (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 411).

President Woodruff explained that this work is more important than us doing it:

We are blessed with power and authority, holding the Holy Priesthood by the commandment of God, to stand upon the earth and redeem both the living and the dead. If we did not do it, we should be damned and cut off from the earth, and the God of Israel would raise up a people who would do it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 189).

President Lee explained Matthew 16:18 in conjunction with salvation for the dead:

[The Lord] said that the gates of hell should not prevail against Christ’s church (Matthew 16:18). Now, the gates of hell would have prevailed against the Lord’s work if there hadn’t been given the ordinances pertaining to the salvation of those who are dead. During those periods when the priesthood to perform the saving ordinances of the gospel was not upon the earth, there were millions who lived, many of whom were faithful souls. If there hadn’t been a way by which the saving ordinances of the gospel could be performed for those who thus died without the knowledge of the gospel, the gates of hell would have prevailed against our Father’s plan of salvation (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 104).

On answer to meaning of the statement that “Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it (D & C 135:3) is provided by President John Taylor:

All the holy priesthood—the ancient patriarchs, prophets and apostles and men of God who have lived in the different generations are looking upon us and expecting us to fulfill the great and important requirements of Jehovah in regard to the welfare and the redemption of the world: the salvation of the living and dead (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 189).

4 - - Our Ancestors Need Our Help

Brigham Young declared:

We want to sacrifice enough to do the will of God in preparing to bring up those who have not had the privilege of hearing the Gospel while in the flesh, for the simple reason that, in the spirit world, they cannot officiate in the ordinances of the house of God. …they are under the necessity of trusting in their friends, their children and their children’s children to officiate for them, that they may be brought up into the celestial kingdom of God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 280).

President John Taylor added:

The myriads of dead that have slept in the silent tomb without a knowledge of the gospel have their eyes upon us, and they are expecting us to fulfil the duties and responsibilities that devolve upon us to attend to, in which they are interested. (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 189).

President Joseph F. Smith also declared:

The work for our dead, which the Prophet Joseph laid upon us with more than ordinary injunction, instructing us that we should look after those of our kinfolk and our ancestors who have died without the knowledge of the gospel, should not be neglected (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 246).

President Joseph F. Smith taught how vital is this work:

The dead are not perfect without us, neither are we without them [see D&C 128:18]. We have a mission to perform for and in their behalf; we have a certain work to do in order to liberate those who, because of their ignorance and the unfavorable circumstances in which they were placed while here, are unprepared for eternal life; we have to open the door for them, by performing ordinances which they cannot perform for themselves, and which are essential to their release from the “prison-house,” to come forth and live according to God in the spirit, and be judged according to men in the flesh [see D&C 138:33–34] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 410).

The above statement is impressive when related to the Savior’s instructions about how to prepare for His Second Coming in Matthew 25:36, “I was in prison, and ye came unto me..."

This idea is also verified in latter-day revelation:

Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free (D&C 128:22).

For some of the early prophets, temple work was very personal. Brigham Young recalled:

My father died before the endowments were given. None of his children have been sealed to him. If you recollect, you that were in Nauvoo, we were very much hurried in the little time we spent there after the temple was built. …we had no time to attend to this. My father’s children, consequently, have not been sealed to him. Perhaps all of his sons may go into eternity, into the spirit world, before this can be attended to… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 307).

President Woodruff shared:

Upon hearing this doctrine, Elder Woodruff thought of his mother. “The first thing that entered into my mind,” he said, “was that I had a mother in the spirit world. She died when I was 14 months old. I never knew [my] mother. I thought to myself, Have I power to go forth and seal my mother to my father? The word was, yes.” …“I have had the blessing and privilege of redeeming in the Temple of our God some four thousand of my father’s and my mother’s kindred. I speak of this because it is one of our blessings, the fullness and glory of which we will never know until the veil is opened.” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 185-6).

The first question in this section is, “What responsibilities do we have toward our ancestors who have died without receiving priesthood ordinances?” (p. 235). One answer to this question is become what the prophets refer to as “Saviors on Mount Zion.” The title to the Chapter on temple work in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith is “Becoming Saviors on Mount Zion” (p. 469). The similar one in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff is “Temple Work Becoming Saviors on Mount Zion.” The heading in this chapter suggests a reason for the title. It reads, “We hold the keys of salvation for our ancestors who have died without the gospel” (p. 185). The heading to chapter 46 in the Joseph F. Smith manual reads, “Through temple service, we become saviors on Mount Zion for those who have died” (p. 407).

Joseph Smith stated:

But how are they to become saviors on Mount Zion? By building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, ordinations and sealing powers upon their heads, in behalf of all their progenitors who are dead, and redeem them that they may come forth in the first resurrection and be exalted to thrones of glory with them; and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 469).

Joseph continued:

All those who die in the faith go to the prison of spirits to preach to the dead in body, but they are alive in the spirit; and those spirits preach to the spirits [who are in prison] that they may live according to God in the spirit, and men do minister for them in the flesh; … and they are made happy by these means [see 1 Peter 4:6]. Therefore, those who are baptized for their dead are the saviors on Mount Zion, and they must receive their washings and their anointings for their dead the same as for themselves.

The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead. The apostle says, ‘They without us cannot be made perfect’ [see Hebrews 11:40] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 474-5).

Brigham Young declared:

The Lord has called me to this work, and I feel as though I will do it. We will send the Gospel to the nations; and when one nation turns us away we will go to another and gather up the honest in heart, and the rest we care not for until we come on Mount Zion as saviors, to attend to the ordinances of the house of God for them [see Obadiah 1:21] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 243).

John Taylor also stated:

We came here to be saviors. “What, saviors?” “Yes.” “Why, we thought there was only one Savior.” “Oh, yes, there are a great many. What do the scriptures say about it?” One of the old prophets, in speaking of these things, says that saviors shall come up upon Mount Zion [see Obadiah 1:21]. Saviors? Yes. Whom shall they save? In the first place themselves, then their families, then their neighbors, friends and associations, then their forefathers, then pour blessings on their posterity. Is that so? Yes (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 187).

President Woodruff added:

Do what you can in this respect, so that when you pass to the other side of the veil your fathers, mothers, relatives and friends will bless you for what you have done, and inasmuch as you have been instruments in the hands of God in procuring their redemption, you will be recognized as Saviors upon Mount Zion in fulfillment of prophecy [see Obadiah 1:21].

If we do not do what is required of us in this thing, we are under condemnation. If we do attend to this, then when we come to meet our friends in the celestial kingdom, they will say, “You have been our saviors, because you had power to do it. You have attended to these ordinances that God has required.

We have been called as Saviors upon Mount Zion… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, p. 189, 192).

President Joseph F. Smith also taught:

We will not finish our work until we have saved ourselves, and then not until we shall have saved all depending upon us; for we are to become saviors upon Mount Zion, as well as Christ. We are called to this mission (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 410).

President Heber J. Grant also exclaimed:

The world asks, how can that be, that one can be baptized for another? But if we believe in the vicarious work of Christ, we must believe that one can do work for another, and that we also may become “saviors upon Mount Zion.” [See Obadiah 1:21.]

It is our duty … to be mindful of those children of our Father who have preceded us in death without a knowledge of the gospel, and to open the door of salvation to them in our temples, where we also have obligations to perform (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 56).

President Lee also taught:

Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, the only means by which man can accept the gospel, is an earthly ordinance, and so in the Plan of Salvation, our Father, with equal consideration for all his children, has provided a way for all members of his Church and Kingdom on the earth to be “saviors on Mt. Zion” by performing a vicarious work in behalf of those in the world of spirits, “the prison house,” that they could not perform for themselves.

This work for the dead performed in holy temples by members of the Church does in reality make of them who do this work “saviors” to those who have died without a knowledge of the gospel, for thereby they may claim the complete gift of the Savior promised to all mankind through his atonement.

If we were united in our temple work and in our genealogical research work, we would not be satisfied with the present temples only, but we would have sufficient work for temples yet to come, to the unlocking of the doors of opportunity to those beyond who are our own kin, and thus would ourselves become saviors on Mount Zion. Our failure to be united will be our failure to perpetuate our family homes in the eternity (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 103-4).

President Joseph F. Smith further encouraged:

Teach your children and let yourselves be taught the fact that it is necessary for you to become saviors upon Mount Zion for those who have died without the knowledge of the gospel, and that the temples of God in these mountains, and that are being reared in other lands, have been built and are designed expressly for the performance of these sacred ordinances which are necessary for those who have passed away without them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 412).

This responsibility is huge for us, as explained by Joseph Smith:

In early 1841, Joseph Smith taught the following, as recorded by William P. McIntire: “Joseph said the Lord said that we should build our house to his name, that we might be baptized for the dead. But if we did it not, we should be rejected, and our dead with us, and this Church should not be accepted [see D&C 124:32]” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 416).

President Woodruff explained how others are anxious for us to do this work:

Our forefathers are looking to us to attend to this work. They are watching over us with great anxiety, and are desirous that we should finish these temples and attend to certain ordinances for them, so that in the morning of the resurrection they can come forth and enjoy the same blessings that we enjoy.

All who have died without a knowledge of this Gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom, for I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.” [D&C 137:7–9.] So it will be with your fathers (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, p. 190-1).

President Woodruff gave a good conclusion to this section:

Never cease that work while you have the power to enter into the Temple. … I have had some thousands redeemed here. I have had baptisms, ordinations, washings and anointings, endowments and sealings for them, the same as if they were standing in the flesh themselves. I shall go and meet them on the other side of the veil. You will go and meet your relatives.

When I lay my body in the tomb and my spirit goes into the spirit world, I shall rejoice and have glory with them in the morning of the resurrection, inasmuch as they receive these principles. “Well,” perhaps you may say, “what if these people whom you have been baptized for do not receive the Gospel?” That will be their fault, not mine. This is a duty that rests upon all Israel, that they shall attend to this work, as far as they have the opportunity here on the earth.

How would I feel, after living as long as I have, with the privileges I have had of going into these temples, to go into the spirit world without having done this work? I meet my father’s house, I meet my mother’s house, I meet my progenitors, and they are shut up in prison; I held the keys of their salvation, and yet did nothing for them; what would be my feelings, or what would be their feelings toward me?

I do not want to go into the spirit world and meet with my progenitors who never heard the Gospel in their day and generation, and have them tell me, “You held in your hand the power to go forth and redeem me, and you have not done it.” I do not want to meet that. I do not want the Latter-day Saints to meet it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, p. 191-2).

5 - - Family History—How We Begin Helping Our Ancestors

President Woodruff declared:

We want the Latter-day Saints from this time to trace their genealogies as far as they can, and to be sealed to their fathers and mothers. Have children sealed to their parents, and run this chain through as far as you can get it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 174).

President Joseph F. Smith added:

The saints should take advantage of every opportunity to obtain the records as far as possible of their ancestors, that their redemption through the ordinances of the House of God might be obtained (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 414).

At the end of this section, the question is asked, “How has the Lord helped you or members of your family find information about your ancestors?” (p. 238). President Grant answered this question this way:

This genealogical work, to me, is simply marvelous. It is wonderful how those of us who take any interest in it have the way prepared. It seems miraculous the way my wife has been able in the past to gather genealogical information regarding her forefathers. It is little less than marvelous the way books and other information have come into our possession. When we got right up against a stone wall, in some way there has been a hole made through that wall so that we could crawl through and get on the other side, figuratively speaking, and find something that was of value (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 56).

Over the next four pages President Grant then documents the miraculous events of he wife’s family history.

President Lee added:

[In our genealogical research] the Lord is not going to open any doors until we get as far as we can on our own.
I have the simple faith that when you do everything you can, researching to the last of your opportunity, the Lord will help you to open doors to go further with your genealogies, and heaven will cooperate, I am sure (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 104).

The title of this section includes “begin.” Brigham Young taught that we will finish this work later:

…we will not wait for the Millennium and the fulness of the glory of God on the earth; we will commence as soon as we have a temple, and work for the salvation of our forefathers; we will get their genealogies as far as we can. By and by, we shall get them perfect. In these temples we will officiate in the ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for our friends (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 309).

We end this section on a most powerful note by President Woodruff:

There will be very few, if any, who will not accept the Gospel. … The fathers of this people will embrace the Gospel (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, p. 191).

6 - - Additional Family History Opportunities

The first suggestion listed in this section is:

1. Attend the temple as often as possible. After we have gone to the temple for ourselves, we can perform the saving ordinances for others waiting in the spirit world

Joseph Smith taught:

The question is frequently asked, ‘Can we not be saved without going through with all those ordinances, etc.?’ I would answer, No, not the fullness of salvation. Jesus said, ‘There are many mansions in my Father’s house, and I will go and prepare a place for you.’ [See John 14:2.] House here named should have been translated kingdom; and any person who is exalted to the highest mansion has to abide a celestial law, and the whole law too (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 418).

Brigham Young added and interesting injunction:

You have got to do the work, or it will not be done. We do not want any whiners about this temple. If you cannot commence cheerfully, and go through the labor of the whole building cheerfully, start for California, and the quicker the better. Make you a golden calf, and worship it. If your care for the ordinances of salvation, for yourselves, your living, and dead, is not first and foremost in your hearts, in your actions, and in everything you possess, go! (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 302).

President Grant made a personal decision:

A little over a year ago I made up my mind that by planning my affairs, by staying away from lectures or concerts or theatres or operas, I could go to the temple at least once every week and have ordinances performed in behalf of some of my loved ones who had passed away. By making up my mind that I could do this I had no difficulty whatever in going through the temple once a week during the entire year. … True, I have had to miss perhaps an opera or theatre or some other function at which I should have liked to be present, but I have had no difficulty whatever.

We can generally do that which we wish to do. A young man can find an immense amount of time to spend with his sweetheart. He can arrange affairs to do that. We can arrange our affairs to get exercise in the shape of golf and otherwise. We can arrange our affairs to have amusements. And if we make up our minds to do so we can arrange our affairs to do temple work, judging from my own experience.

I do not know of any one that is any busier than I am, and if I can do it they can (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 54-5).

President Grant also included his family:

In January 1928 he decided to establish every Thursday night as Grant family temple night. Endowed members of the family gathered for dinner and then went to the Salt Lake Temple to receive sacred ordinances in behalf of their deceased ancestors (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 53).

A fitting conclusion is provided by President Woodruff:

We want to continue in these temples. We want them to be occupied by the Latter-day Saints. We want our brethren and sisters to continue to go there and redeem the dead and bless the living.

If [we] knew and understood the feelings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and those of his brethren associated with him, and the feelings of the millions of the human family who are shut up in their prison houses, we would not tire. … We would labor for the redemption of our dead.

The eyes of the heavens are over us; the eyes of God himself, the eyes of every Prophet and Apostle in the spirit world, are watching you, watching this Priesthood, to see what they are doing and what they are going to do. It is of far more importance than we realize and comprehend. Let us awake to the ordinances of the House of God and do our duty, that we may be justified (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, p. 176, 191).